Re: mitoldies: Co Q-10 levels question

[Guest guest]

This may help.

The neuropharmacology and Clinical Laboratories of the Children's

Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati have recently joined to develop

and offer a new test profile for assessing coenzyme Q10 status.

This unique profile includes the concentrations of total, oxidized, and

reduced forms of this essential cofactor, plus the total Q10

concentration indexed with total cholesterol.

Coenzyme Q10 (also called CoQ or ubiquinone) is an endogenous cofactor

which is essential for mitochondrial function and cellular energy

production. It also serves as an important antioxidant, protecting

membranes from oxidative injury, and conserving and regenerating vitamin

E. A new method for measuring the reduced (or antioxidant) and oxidized

forms of coenzyme Q10 has been developed in the CHMC neuropharmacology

laboratory (see Clinical Chemistry 2001;47(2)256-265).

Because coenzyme Q10 may be depleted in certain acute and chromic

disease states, the ratio of reduced to total Q10 concentration is also

a useful biomarker of oxidative stress. Patients who have coenzyme Q10

deficiency also have increased risk of mitochondrial and cellular injury

from excess production of free radicals. Certain drugs and malnourished

states may also tend to deplete the body's coenzyme Q10 reserves.

Measurement of coenzyme Q10 concentrations in plasma can assist

clinicians in detecting coenzyme Q10 deficiency states, and serve as a

guide for dosing when oral supplementation is indicated.

Because significant inter-product variability in the absorption and

bioavailability of coenzyme Q10 has been reported with over-the-counter

(OTC) Q10 preparations, the Coenzyme Q10 Profile will also assist in

verifying the extent of absorption of Q10 from those products. Included

in the Coenzyme Q10 Profile are the oxidized, reduced, and total Q10

concentrations. Also the fraction of the reduced Q10 in the total

concentration, and the Q10: Total Cholesterol Index (or QCI0) are

reported. Reference intervals and comments are also provided with each

report.

Potential indications for testing coenzyme Q10 status include:

- Suspected coenzyme Q10 deficiency secondary to inheritance (rare) or

other mitochondrial disease

- Cardiomyopathy

- Neurodegenerative diseases, e.g. Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, muscular

dystrophy, ALS

- Metabolic disease

- Malnutrition

- Presurgical screening for patients who have pre-existing coenzyme Q10

deficiency or who may have increased risk of ischemia-reperfusion injury

- Prior treatment with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors ( " statin " drugs) or

other drugs which may lower coenzyme Q10 levels

- Gastrointestinal malabsorption

- Assessment of coenzyme Q10 dosing adequacy

The Coenzyme Q10 Profile requires a minimum of 2 mL of heparinized blood

(green to vacutainer tube), which must be placed on ice immediately and

sent to the CHMC Clinical Laboratory for next morning delivery. Please

call the CHMC Clinical Laboratory Outreach Director at in

advance for billing, ordering, shipping, and specimen collection

information, or Dr. Miles, Pharm.D., CHMC Division of Child

Neurology at .

V. Miles, PharmD Prof. Of Clinical Pediatrics and Neurology

Director, Clinical Neuropharmacology Laboratory Childrenc's Hospital

Medical Center 3333 Burnet Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45229 Phone: 513/636-7871

Fax: 513/636-3980

Mrsmurffy@... wrote:

>Alright, this may sound dumb but how do you get the CoQ levels. Is it just a

>regular lab draw? can it be done anywhere or just certain labs and does it

>reflect a primary COQ deficiency or just secondary?

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi the information is on the epic4health websight, under how to get a lab test

good luck.

Donna

>

> From: Mrsmurffy@...

> Date: 2004/08/21 Sat PM 06:54:48 EDT

> To:

> Subject: : Co Q-10 levels question

>

> Alright, this may sound dumb but how do you get the CoQ levels. Is it just a

> regular lab draw? can it be done anywhere or just certain labs and does it

> reflect a primary COQ deficiency or just secondary?

>

>

>

>